


Like A Nine Sided Octagon

by Weevilo707



Series: Davekat Week 2015 [1]
Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Confessions, Davekat Week, Day 1, Hispanic Karkat, Humanstuck, M/M, canon Bro problems, dave doesn't want to admit anything's wrong, davekat - Freeform, karkat finds him hurt and wants to help, mentions of stabdads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4693583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weevilo707/pseuds/Weevilo707
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave tried to tell himself that it wasn't a big deal. He just needed a place to rest for the night and maybe like four or five stitches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Nine Sided Octagon

Dave tried to tell himself that it wasn’t a big deal. He just needed a place to rest for the night and maybe like four or five stitches. He’d had worse, he just had to suck it up and head back to the apartment instead of walking around hunched over hoping no one would notice the blood seeping through his hoodie. It was red, so he was probably in the clear on that one.

He didn’t want to go back though. He was pretty sure Bro was still there and he couldn’t deal with that asshole right now. He would quite literally prefer bleeding out than dealing with him as he currently was.

“Dave?”

He wasn’t able to keep himself from flinching at the sound of his name. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Turning around, his eyes fell on a familiar boy with bags of groceries gripped tightly in his hands.

“Sup?” he said, trying to cover up the blood without him noticing and not cringe at the pain from turning around like he had. Karkat was frowning at him, but that could mean anything. He was frowning at him pretty much constantly.

“What are you doing out so late?” he asked, shifting the groceries in his hands as he came closer. Dave would have shrugged but he didn’t want to risk moving around too much.

“Could be asking you the same question man,” Dave countered, Karkat rolling his dark brown eyes.

He’d been noticing shit like that lately and it was one of the reasons he couldn’t stand to be around Bro like he’d been able to put up with before. He could barely tolerate anyone, honestly.

“It’s pretty fucking obvious what I’m doing. I’m being a god damn responsible adult and buying pizza rolls and ice-cream at eleven at night,” Karkat snapped. It was hard not to laugh at that but the small chuckle that managed to slip out of him just caused a shooting pain in his side.

“Kanaya and Kankri both too busy to check up on you this week?” he asked, Karkat scoffing. He started to bring his arms up, probably to cross them but seemed to realize that would be difficult with the bags and stopped.

“Whatever, you still haven’t told me what it is you’re doing out here,” he said, changing the subject. Dave could feel the blood starting to really leak through his hoodie and he needed to get out of here before Karkat noticed.

“Just takin a late night stroll man, you know how it is. Catch you later,” he said, starting to turn away. Before he could take three steps Karkat was at his side again.

“You’re walking weird,” he pointed out and god this was not good. Once Karkat got suspicious of something he didn’t fucking let up.

“Maybe I’m just trying to conceal my huge boner for you man, don’t judge,” he joked. Karkat punched him in the arm and _fuck_ he wasn’t able to keep himself from cringing away. Oh god no, he was staring at Dave with that little concerned look that he got whenever he knew there was something wrong damn it.

“I did not hit you that hard,” he said slowly and Dave shook his head.

“Nope, pretty sure you just broke my arm,” he said, starting to walk away again. Just had to play it off. Deny, change the subject, just leave, _something_ to get Karkat off his case.

Dave could hear him doing that cute little half-run thing to catch up with him and oh god damn it he was doing it again.

Karkat was cute though, in like, a purely objective way. His hair was always a thick tangled mess and he had dark freckles on already tan skin despite not having gone out in sunlight on his own accord in like a year and whenever he got super pissed he’d start cursing in Spanish which was kind of hot even if Dave couldn’t understand a word.

The next thing he knew his path was blocked and Dave tried to shift deeper into the shadows to hide the ever growing bloodstain. Fuck, he was starting to get lightheaded. He needed to sit down or at least fucking lean against something but Karkat wouldn’t fucking leave.

“You don’t look good, what’s going on?” he asked. Dave shrugged, forgetting he was supposed to and wincing from the pain.

“Nothing man. I just need to be heading back home, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, trying to walk around Karkat. As he passed Karkat grabbed his arm, and normally Dave would have been able to pull away, he wasn’t actually holding him that hard, but fuck he was tired. And he didn’t want to go home. And maybe he kind of wanted someone to realize there was something wrong with him for once.

And maybe he’d really fucking like it if that person was Karkat.

“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck’s gotten into you,” Karkat demanded. Dave found himself hesitating before finally speaking.

“It’s not quite something that’s gotten into me than like, something coming out of me,” he said. Karkat didn’t say anything, instead just staring at him in the most dumbfounded manner waiting for him to explain.

“Blood. There’s blood coming out of my side and I’m getting kind of lightheaded,” he said in just about the blunted manner he could manage. Karkat’s eyes widened and he glanced down looking for the wound. He seemed to notice it pretty quickly once he knew what to look for.

“What the fucking shit are you doing walking around like that for?!” he yelled.

“Eh, it’s not that bad,” Dave tried, Karkat looking like he was about to slap him.

“I’m taking you to the fucking hospital,” he said, Dave shaking his head because oh fuck no.

“Whoa man hold up a second here. I swear it’s not actually that bad, I just need like, maybe a needle and some thread. Disinfectant would be nice too,” he said. Karkat was grumbling and Dave couldn’t understand him but he was just fucking hoping he didn’t make him go to a hospital. Bro would be fucking pissed if he did that instead of taking care of it himself.

“You are the most _insufferable-_ Ugh, just come with me,” Karkat said, grabbing his arm again and starting to lead him away.

“We’re not going to the hospital, are we?” Dave asked, not putting up a fight despite this. He didn’t think he could do much at this point anyway. He really just wanted to sleep, but that would be a dumb as fuck thing to do without taking care of the cut first.

“No, we’re not going to the freaking hospital, okay?” Karkat said, and Dave could hold back the sigh of relief.

There were a few times when Dave wanted to ask Karkat to slow down, feeling very lightheaded and barely managing to keep moving one foot in front of the other. He managed to push through it, telling himself it wasn’t that much farther to Karkat’s apartment. It was a shitty little thing with one bedroom and the living room and kitchen combined into the only other room in the place. It was his first apartment though, and so Dave wasn’t going to knock it too bad.

He managed to move out before Dave had, after all, so he had to give Karkat props for that.

When they finally made it into the building and were standing in the elevator Dave took the chance to lean against the wall. He wasn’t able to do it with quite as much finesse as he would have liked, pretty much just slamming against it and barely managing to stay on his feet.

“Fuck!” Karkat yelled, grabbing Dave’s shoulder and helping to steady him a bit. One of the grocery bags ended up hitting him in the arm but Dave didn’t comment on it.

“I’m fine, it’s cool, everything’s cool.” Dave tried to reassure him, using the small railing to hold himself up a bit more.

“Like fuck it is. Do you even realize how fucking impossible you are?” Karkat asked.

“I’m like a nine sided octagon man, ain’t never seen anything like this before,” he joked, the other boy huffing and pulling him out of the elevator once it finally reached their floor.

“You’re like a god damn migraine,” he muttered, leading Dave into the apartment and sitting him down on the strangely nice couch compared to all of the other furniture. Kanaya had given it to him as a gift when he moved in. She’d brought it from a thrift store but refurbished the whole thing beforehand.

Dave took the moment to catch his breath, trying to stop the way his head was spinning. He didn’t even notice Karkat leaving and coming back until he sat next to him with a first aid kit in his lap.

“Take off your shirt,” he demanded and Dave tried to give him a smirk that probably ended up looking more like a cringe.

“Always knew you were the dominant type,” he said, Karkat just tugging on his hoodie instead of justifying that with an answer. Dave tried not to show too much pain as he carefully peeled his hoodie and shirt away from the small gash. He could hear Karkat muttering to himself and when he let the items fall to the floor he could see the concern etched into the boy’s face.

“You’re fucking incredible,” he mumbled, wiping excess blood away from the cut so that he could start working on it. Normally Dave would have told him he could do it himself but right now he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and he trusted that Karkat knew was he was doing. The guy was going into nursing and he was pretty fucking sure this wasn’t the first time he’d had to deal with a type of stab wound.

“I know you are but what am I?” Dave said and he could practically feel Karkat rolling his eyes at him.

“That doesn’t even make any sense you dummy,” Karkat said, starting to spread disinfectant on the wound. Dave wasn’t able to hold back the first flinch, not expecting the stinging but after that he was able to hold himself together. Karkat didn’t comment on it, just carefully working his way along the long cut.

“Yes it does. You’re incredible, my fucking hero right here. Look at me, I’m swooning,” he joked. Mostly. As far as anyone knew, at least.

“If you fall over I’m stopping right now and you can do this yourself,” Karkat threatened.

“Swoon averted,” Dave assured.

“It fucking better be,” he said. Dave didn’t say anything as Karkat started to stitch up the wound, just gritting his teeth and trying to focus on anything but the pain.

Once that was done Karkat finished wrapping the cut and started putting the supplies back in the case. Dave was sorely tempted to lay down once he moved and just go to sleep. He knew Karkat wouldn’t actually have a problem with it, even if he pretended to bitch and moan.

Before he stood up though Karkat sighed softly.

“You know, you can stay here,” he said, and Dave just barely nodded.

“Yeah, was kinda planning on that man, not really feeling up to walkin back right now,” he said. He was already leaning back into the cushion and closed his eyes at this point.

“That’s not what I mean,” Karkat said. Dave frowned, looking back over at him in confusion.

“Then what do you mean? I’m kind of lost here,” he asked. Karkat sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I mean you can fucking stay here, like move in. Or if you’re not comfortable with that Rose has a spare room where she can put you up,” he explained.

For some reason it hit him like a punch in the gut.

“Whoa dude, no, no I’m fine. Why would I need to move in with anyone?” he asked, Karkat glaring at him.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You call this _fine?”_ he snapped.

“Look it just got a little out of hand, it’s not like he was trying to,” Dave argued. It was true, he’d just hadn’t been on his A game and this is the kind of shit that happens when you slip up like that. He just needed to get his fucking head on straight and he could defend himself perfectly fine. He didn’t need any help with this, he had it under control.

“Dave this isn’t the fucking first time,” Karkat said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Even if we weren’t already suspicious I’m not fucking blind I can _see_ all of those scars you idiot,” he said, pointing at his chest. Dave cringed, looking around for something to cover himself up and very much considering putting his bloody shirt back on. Before he could Karkat left, coming back and chucking a small blanket at him. Dave instantly pulled it around his shoulders.

“That won’t make me magically forget about them, you know,” Karkat spoke up.

“I know. Look, you don’t understand, it’s not important,” Dave said. Fuck, there had to be something he could do to get him off of this. Deny, deflect, leave. He wasn’t going to leave, and denying it wasn’t working, so that just left deflect.

“They’re not even the main point. I told you already we’ve already been worried about you,” Karkat said and fuck he sounded so heartfelt it was physically hurting him.

“Aw, always knew you loved me,” Dave joked. Deflect never really worked when Karkat got like this but it was all he had left.

“You’re not slick Dave. I know what fucking slick is,” Karkat said.

“Hey man just because I ain’t a mob boss like your dad doesn’t mean I can’t be slick too,” he argued.

“He’s not a fucking- damn it! Will you please just listen to me for once!?” Karkat yelled, surprising Dave. It wasn’t that Karkat didn’t yell a lot, oh boy did he, but he just sounded so fucking desperate and upset.

“I’m fine Karkat,” Dave insisted, speaking as calmly and clearly as he could manage.

“I’m not going to risk losing you,” Karkat said in a similar tone.

“That’s not anything you have to worry about man, nothing’s going to happen to me,” Dave tried to reassure him. God, he didn’t even know how Karkat had managed to get so fucking worried that he convinced himself Dave was in some sort of life threatening situation. He’d dealt with this for the last 17 years he could last a little bit longer until he managed to find his own job and place to stay.

“You don’t understand you fucking idiot,” Karkat said, and he was right. Dave didn’t understand what this was about. He knew Karkat was protective as shit when it came to his friends but it was just so weird to have it directed at him.

“Then explain, I’m all ears,” he said, Karkat sighing deeply.

“I don’t want to,” he said after a small moment of silence. It was so unexpected, he sounded like a fucking little kid who didn’t want to eat his veggies. Dave wasn’t able to hold back a burst of laughter, instantly regretting it when the pain hit him.

“Damn it, let me grab you some painkiller,” Karkat said, standing up and walking into the kitchen section of the room. Dave could see several grocery bags by the table and called after him.

“Dude, your food,” he said, pointing to them when Karkat glanced back at him.

“Fuck,” he grumbled, rushing back and grabbing the bags. “Just let me put this shit away, forgot all about it,” he said, Dave nodding.

“No problem man, take your time,” he said, slowly stretching out along the couch. It wasn’t long before Karkat came back, handing him a glass of water and a few pilled. Dave pushed himself back up a bit, quickly downed pills and placing the glass on the rickety coffee table.

“So, you’re not going to try explaining to me what’s up?” he asked, Karkat giving another deep sigh.

“You have to promise not to freak the fuck out, okay,” he said and Dave nodded.

“Can do.”

“And that we can still be friends.”

“Dude, at this point I’d probably excuse you killing Vriska in a fit of rage, you’re gonna have to work hard as fuck to make us not be friends,” Dave said, Karkat nodding slightly.

“Alright…” he muttered, shifting from foot to foot as he seemed to think of what to say.

“Look at me,” Karkat said at last. Dave pushed himself up a bit more as he turned towards the other boy.

“Sup,” he said, starting to get genuinely curious as to what this was about.

Karkat leaned down and Dave didn’t move away when he placed a hand on his cheek. Tilting his head up, Karkat very gently pressed his lips against Dave’s own.

It lasted at most three seconds and Karkat didn’t do anything but leave his lips just kind of lightly against Dave’s.

When Karkat pulled away his face was beet fucking red. Dave was pretty sure his heart had stopped.

“Uh, yeah,” Karkat muttered, not looking Dave in the eye.

“Yeah,” Dave agreed, kind of impressed that he managed to make words and stuff. He was kind of scared to say anything else though, pretty sure his brain would make his say something completely idiotic and screw all of this up.

Whatever ‘this’ was. He had no fucking clue but he didn’t want to go and ruin it.

“Sorry,” Karkat added, but Dave shook his head.

“Don’t be,” he insisted. He did not want Karkat to be sorry about this.

“So…?”

“So what?” Dave asked. Karkat groaned, hitting his forehead in frustration.

“ _So_ , usually when someone confesses to liking someone else it’s custom for the other person to let them know if those feelings are reciprocated,” Karkat explained.

“You like me?” Dave asked and yep, his brain was making in an idiot about this.

“Oh my _god._ You are just- I don’t even know what you are!” Karkat yelled.

“Impossible as a nine sided octagon?” Dave tried.

“Sure, why the fuck not,” Karkat said. Dave wasn’t sure what to say next. He should probably answer his question.

He didn’t know what the answer was though. Or well, he did, and he was kind of terrified about it.

If Bro found out he would kill him.

“Look, you don’t have to stay here, or at anyone else’s if you don’t want to. We can help you get your own place, you can pay us back later. Just please for fuck’s sake let us help you,” Karkat pleaded.

Dave ignored the pain in his side as he pushed himself fully up, grabbing Karkat’s shoulder and pulling him down into another kiss. Karkat was frozen in surprise at first, but slowly started to respond.

“You really wouldn’t mind if I stay here?” Dave asked once they broke away.

“No I wouldn’t mind, dumbass,” Karkat said, relief clear in his voice.

“You only got the one bedroom,” he pointed out.

“We can work out the details in the morning,” Karkat told him. Dave nodded, because yeah okay, figuring it out in the morning sounded really fucking good right now. He was still pretty much on the verge of passing out and he might regret all of this once he had some sleep and was able to think more clearly, but he doubted it.

“Alright, that will work. I think I’m gonna get some sleep,” he said, Karkat nodding.

“Let me grab you a pillow. Would you rather just sleep in the bed? It’s softer. Not by much, but it is,” Karkat offered.

“Carry me?” Dave asked, holding his arms out.

“Get up, asshole.” Karkat said and Dave reluctantly pushed himself to his feet. The other boy did help him keep steady on the way to the bedroom, guiding him over to the bed.

“I still need to get you a spare pillow,” Karkat said, starting over to the closet.

“You can be my pillow,” Dave said.

“I’m going to have to deal with this all the fucking time from now on, aren’t I?”

“You can still back out if you want.”

“Like fuck am I backing out. Scoot over, I’ll be a fucking incredible pillow,” Karkat said, squeezing into the bed. They kind of had to be on top of each other in order for them both to fit, and Dave wondered just how this was going to work out. Maybe it would be better for him to stay with Rose or find his own place or something like that instead.

Whatever, they’d talk about it in the morning. Right now he just wanted to go to sleep.

It didn’t take him long to either, feeling Karkat’s chest slowly rise and fall below him and enjoying the feeling of his hands carding through his hair.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I'd do something for Davekat week. Also, I'm trying to get into the hang of writing shorter things instead of just a bunch of giant multichapter stories.
> 
> Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!


End file.
